There are a few truths about this Philadelphia Phillies season.
First, the Phillies are undoubtedly a good baseball team. They can contend for a pennant under the right circumstances. But they also have a tough hill to climb, as the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Los Angeles Dodgers have all shown better so far this season.
Beating the Cubs in a three-game series to start the week was a good first step for this Phillies team after a rough 1-9 streak. Now, the summer is beginning to heat up, and Philadelphia can start making plans for the Jul. 31 trade deadline.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows the Phillies' championship window could be closing soon. That gives one baseball insider confidence that the legendary exec will step up and deliver a major addition.
On Wednesday, Robert Murray of FanSided created a general manager "confidence meter," and while he only ranked Dombrowski sixth, he predicted that something major was on the horizon at the trade deadline.
"Dombrowski, like (the Yankees' Brian) Cashman, is a Hall of Fame executive. He’s very aggressive and loves making a big move — and with a team in need of a splash to catch the Mets, I could see Dombrowski doing just that, whether it’s for another bat or a bullpen arm," Murray wrote.
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Last season, the Phillies traded for former All-Star closer Carlos Estévez and outfielder Austin Hays, neither of which paid major dividends. This time around, relief pitching and outfield once again look like the main areas of improvement.
Will Dombrowski deliver on Murray's promise? The next six weeks will hold the answer.
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